These Things I Believe

That the light will last forever.

That a silent abracadabra is the appropriate blessing to be conferred on even the darkest new morning.

That a dog is both a lantern and a life preserver.

That John Wayne wore his pants pulled up too high for my taste.

That as an object of pure design a good baseball mitt is as beautiful as anything ever produced by an Italian.

That a dream deferred accrues interest.

That a goat is a more worthy subject for a tale than a donkey.

That a starving man can live for a long time on laughter and conversation.

That there is always a fish at the other end of the line.

That there is a bobber at the bottom of my throat.

That a man can be the ringmaster, walk the high wire, and both be and tame the lion.

That oblivion is a worthwhile destination.

That beetles are among the planet's most spectacular creations.

That impostors almost always wear the crown.

That the spirit of the living creatures is in the wheels.

That a heart cannot live by breaking.

That desire can cripple a man.

That soup is the perfect food.

That questions have answers.

That one can persist in asking questions, and survive the answers.

That all the moral blather in the world can be boiled down to two words: be careful.

That a meager body and feeble hands can save a life, can cradle a heart and keep it safe, and can communicate things the mind and mouth could never find the words to say.

That a heretic can speak the truth.

That a parrot can --and should-- be taught to recite poetry.

That love cannot survive without a soundtrack, and dancing.

That on the right night and the right road Little Willie John could drive you to your knees.

That George Herriman's Krazy Kat is as inspired as anything in literature.

That you should never stop expecting people to surprise you.

That all the big, ridiculous things are possible, are tangible, are true.

That there is magic in human hands.

That some form of magic is always at hand.

That this is a world without end.

That I’m right about some of these things, maybe even most of them.

Go ahead and tell me I’m not and see where it'll get you.